Down to Her Very Bones
by Moksgmol
Summary: Brennan is having trouble picking out a new assistant... mostly because all she wants is her old one back.


It's been months and she has yet to find a new assistant. She's falling further and further behind in her work, and while Booth insists that a few more days - or even weeks - of waiting won't mean much to a box of bones that's been waiting since the war, it _is_ the job she's paid to do and she hates to see them sit in limbo. And now Dr. Goodman, though he's always insistent that she be willing to assist the FBI, has become increasingly less subtle about her completing the work she's been for. It's never been a problem before but now he's torn between the FBI and what the Jeffersonian needs done and even she can't pretend to be missing his none-too-subtle clues about finding a new assistant.

But from the moment Daisy or any other grad student that followed her walked into the lab it felt wrong, and Brennan found herself dismissing them before they'd even had a chance.

Oh, there was always an issue - they were too quiet, too loud, too pushy or meek - but mostly it was just one thing. They weren't _him_.

She hadn't ever admitted it out loud, and almost everyone simply assumed that she simply didn't like the applicants; that she was just a little too brash to get along with most. But Hodgins knew, and he treated the hopefuls with the same cold indifference that she did.

Temperance understood that she was being illogical, and that she was letting sentimentality cloud her judgement, but she was having difficulty removing her emotions from the equation as she usually did.

And so she found herself turning away one brilliant mind after another because they were missing all of those intangible qualities that weren't written on the application from, that they didn't include in their curriculum vitae or essays. It was all of those unique things that added up to the one person she wanted, but would never again be able, to work with.

So instead she found herself pushing deeper into her work, not only to avoid contact with people she didn't want to meet, let alone know, but to also try and and keep up enought to stop Goodman from forcing a new assistant on her. She knew it was irrational, but she was hoping to avoid ever aquiring another lab assistant.

--

There was a gentle thunk and Brenan frowned, her brow furrowing slightly in confusion as she lifted her head off of her arms, before quickly surmising that she must have fallen asleep working. The first thing she saw was the skull she had been measuring staring blankly back at her, sliding calipers abandoned beside it. Just behind it was a coffee cup, steam rising off the surface of the dark liquid in swirling curls.

And behind that was a pair of legs she didn't recognize, and she raised her head to tell off her new assistant for bringing a beverage near human remains - though she had never told her previous assistant off for the very same act - but as her eyes met his the words died on her lips.

He almost looked like him in some ways.

He was tall and a little gangly, with a mop of brown hair over kind eyes and the most humble smile she'd seen in ages. He reached forward, holding out a hand to shake one of her own.

'Jeff Mann,' the words rolled easily off his tongue, though the nervousness underneath was palpable. 'Your new assistant... well, hopefully your new assistant.'

'How come I haven't met you before this?' She asked, still frowning, as her hand returned his gesture almost of its own volition.

His smile widened ever so slightly, crinkling the corners of his eyes, 'Well, I figured that the best way to introduce myself to you wouldn't be shaking you awake with nothing to offer, so I set up the coffee pot in the break room. I was waiting for it to finish when your self-appointed 'bug and slime guy' found me. His work is truly quite fascinating and useful, but I must admit htat I prefer skeletal human remains.'

At this point Hodgins came bounding up behind the young man, clapping a boisterous hand on his shoulder and giving Brennan a toothy grin.

'I like him Dr Brennan; can we keep him?'

'He might be _my _ new assistant Hodgins,' She said, eyes twinkling as she picked up the coffee and took a sip.

'Well he's mine for the morning, then,' Jack cheekily responded before dragging Jeff away, and the last thing she heard from them was, 'Now, you may be good, but I'm King of the Lab around here...'

Temperance smiled down at the mug she was cradling in both hands. If Hodgins could bring back jokes he hadn't mentioned since... well, for quite a while, then maybe she needed to give this applicant a real chance too.

She got up, stretching carefully to avoid spilling her drink, before making her way to her office. She opened up a new document on her computer, letting her fingers take a familiar path across the keys.

_Dear Jeff Mann,_

_It is my pleasure to offer you the post asmy intern in forensic anthropology. I chose you from hundred of other applicants because of your knowledge, your desire to learn, and because I feel you will find a home here._

_Sincerely,_

_Dr. Temperence Brennen_

She paused at the end of the letter while waiting for it to print. She would do a better job of mentoring this time around; she wouldn't let Jeff down like she'd let him down.

She picked up the phone, needing to tell him that she was hiring a new assistant, because he would tug on her thoughts and heartstrings every single time she saw Jeff Mann. Zack Addy had left an impression down to her very bones, and she was loath to give the letter she had just typed and to say this final goodbye.

_Okay, first _Bones _fic, hope that you liked it! I was feeling a little inspired and so I wrote it during math class instead of listening, haha. Hope that you enjoyed this; maybe I'll write another fic for this show sometime, we'll see how this one goes._

_-Moksgmol_


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